


A Photograph of You and I (In Love)

by BookewyrmeWritesFic



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Depression, Developing Relationship, Jealous Victor Nikiforov, M/M, Phichit is the best bro, Sochi banquet, Victor and Yuuri actually talk to each other, What if fic, alternate sochi banquet, before he starts running back to, eventually, pride theme week, probably some skating in here too at some point, some smut, yuuri remembers, yuuri runs away a lot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-05-28 03:15:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15039464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookewyrmeWritesFic/pseuds/BookewyrmeWritesFic
Summary: This was my answer to myself when I asked "What if Yuuri and Victor had both remembered the banquet?". It was brought on by a spate of amnesia-fic reading, and thinking about memory, and wondering how much would actually have changed. So, this is heavily based on canon, but it is definitely a canon-divergent AU. The first three chapters are going up over the next three days as I am also posting this tomy tumblrfor #yoiprideweek.





	1. Revelations

**Author's Note:**

> The title is a reference to a song that also rather resonated for me with this story. Its a song I really like by a band I no longer like (because I can't in good conscience support anything the lead singer is involved in anymore, he is too much of a dick-bag of tools). But the title just fit too well with the beginning of this piece, so I had to keep it.

Yuuri groaned the heartfelt moan of the wish-they-were-dying, peeling his crusty eyes open a slit. The tiny movement started a brass band up in his head and he groaned again. It throbbed in time to his pulse, slowly awakening the rest of his body’s aches and pains. Bruises on his hips from falling on the ice. Repeatedly. Stomach aching with hangover nausea. The urgent and intense need to pee. Aching shoulders and hamstrings from... _pole dancing_?

Yuuri moaned lower as last night slowly swam into champagne soaked focus in his memory, and he rolled over to bury his face in his pillow in the hope he might smother to death and never have to actually face anyone who had been at the banquet ever again. The motion exacerbated his aching stomach and he stumbled resignedly into the bathroom to empty his bladder and his stomach one after another. Returning to bed he huddled under the blanket shivering and contemplated the ruins of his career. Probably just as well he meant to retire after this. No way could he ever face the ISU...or the JSF. 

God. Had he really break-danced in the middle of an official banquet? With a _fifteen year old?_ And then...oh god. Oh God. He had...on the pole...with _Chris_. Naked. _In front of Victor Effing Nikiforov._

Yuuri whimpered pathetically. He could never show his face again. He could never speak to Victor again. He certainly was never drinking champagne again. In fact, he was contemplating never leaving this bed again. Housekeeping could just sweep him out into the dumpster with the rest of the garbage. 

Yuuri gave another experimental whimper and waited for the pain to end.

~~~  
Victor woke up with a smile already on his lips. Sure his head and stomach both ached a bit. But more importantly, Yuuri had happened. Images flashed behind his closed lids as he lay in bed, reveling in memories of the night before. The Best Gala Ever. The Gala of Yuuri. 

Yuuri, dancing the pants off Yuri Plisetsky (and Plisetsky’s subsequent fury). Yuuri _literally_ dancing the pants off of Chris, and then twining around him on a pole. Yuuri cradling Victor’s head and gazing down at him with the sweetest smile as they danced. Yuuri laughing and clapping, flushed and happy despite his disastrous free-skate and earlier surly mood. Yuuri begging Victor to be his coach (to stay by his side, to teach him, to skate with him). Yuuri’s lips against his in an empty ballroom. 

Yuuri, Yuuri, _Yuuri._

Victor stretched luxuriously and reached for his phone, intending to send a sweet good-morning text to his...what? What did one night of champagne-soaked dancing and drunkenly whispered promises make them? Well they’d work that out as soon as they….

Victor sat straight up and spat a curse. _He hadn’t gotten Yuuri’s number_. He had no way to contact him! 

Victor racked his brain, trying to think if perhaps he’d written it somewhere and forgotten. Or surely he’d at least given his number to Yuuri. Hadn’t he? Surely he hadn’t been that addled by a pretty face and warm brown eyes! Surely!

He had. He had forgotten. Nor did he know how early Yuuri would be leaving for Detroit. Perhaps he had even already gone. It was nearly 10, unconscionably late for early-rising Victor. A quick search of social media brought up three mostly defunct official accounts containing only what looked suspiciously like PR-written updates. Victor followed and private messaged each anyway, with his own number and a plea to text him. It was better than doing nothing. 

Perhaps that reeked of desperation, but Victor _felt_ desperate. 

With a sigh, Victor opened his messages and began to wade through the many congratulations and Yakov’s typo-riddled tirade not to miss his flight. He stopped at a photo message from Chris. Opening the chat, he felt his cheeks warm at Chris’s message, the implications, and the image itself. Something warm and hopeful uncurled in his chest. Chris was right, he and Yuuri were destined. 

Victor unabashedly set the picture as his phone wallpaper and continued scrolling his messages and social media. 

**Chris the Swiss  
** 12:48a  
_I’m framing this and giving it to you at your wedding. And I better be your best man. (Splashing Sweat Symbol ≊ Sweat Droplets)(Aubergine ≊ Eggplant)  
[Photograph of Yuuri dipping Victor, noses nearly touching, eyes squeezed in laughter and faces glowing]_


	2. Overcoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri struggles and Victor is (im)patient.

Victor tried to concentrate on his skating as the days turned to weeks with no sign from Yuuri. He tried his very best, really, not to obsess and not to stalk. Certainly he tried to be patient and wait for Yuuri to give him a sign. Especially after he unsuccessfully tried to pump Chris for information on the elusive skater, such as his phone number, personal Instagram, or anything! Throw a guy a bone Chris really! and Chris had outright refused. 

_“Trust me cheri, be patient. Don’t push Yuuri too fast, you’ll just push him away.”_ Chris had advised.

Victor barely managed not to whine into the phone. “But Chris, I need him! He’s...I...just. And how can you tell me to go slow and wait for him when YOU were the one pole dancing with him? How is that slow??”

Chris’s low sensual chuckle did not make Victor feel any better. _“Oh poor Victor, you’ve got it so bad. Yuuri is used to me now, he doesn’t push back anymore, but I assure you, nothing I could do would tempt him away from devotion to you.”_

Victor wasn’t so sure. Maybe he had misinterpreted their one night together. After all, he knew he could be a bit...pushy at times. People often told him he was too over-the-top dramatic. He knew Yuuri was a fan (no one skated such beautiful homages without being dedicated), but perhaps he hadn’t lived up to Yuuri’s expectations. Maybe Yuuri preferred to admire from afar. 

As the days turned to weeks, then to months, with no sign from Yuuri, Victor fell into a slump. Yuuri’s season ended at his nationals, and with it all hope of encountering him at another competition this year and asking him outright if Victor should continue to hope or if he should try to move on. Emphasis on the try. Instead Victor settled for pouring over every photo he could collect from the evening, posting only the tamest ones to his Instagram with vague but appreciative captions, and hoping. And if on certain lonely nights he found himself taking himself in hand as he watched the videos of Yuuri and Chris on the pole, well, there was no one to tell on him. He assured himself it wasn’t creepy to masturbate to sexy images of a sometimes-lover, that Chris would encourage him and in fact be flattered, and that it was definitely Chris he was watching. Definitely not a certain beautiful Japanese skater with soft brown eyes and tan skin stretched over taught muscles and step sequences that could make you cry. 

Victor had nearly given up hope of hearing from Yuuri in any way when he clicked on a video link two days after winning World’s for the fifth time in a row. As the video loaded and Yuuri’s face appeared he gasped, then frowned. That pose…

He stared hard as Yuuri called to him in their shared language, across continents and time. A quick check of the time-stamp on the video assured him Yuuri must have recorded this around the same time as he himself had been skating at World’s. They were still speaking to each other after all, and in a way that couldn’t be mistaken as anything besides longing. Perhaps Yuuri’s long silence could be explained. It would have taken him some time to perfect this routine. And Victor recognized the signs of months of self-neglect if anyone could. His Yuuri _needed_ him, was begging for him, and here he was lounging on a couch. 

After the third watch through of the video, Victor finally leapt off his couch and began packing. There was quite a lot to do, and limited time to do it in. 

~~~

Yuuri tried drowning his embarrassment in work in the lead up to Japanese Nationals, concentrating on his skating. But the embarrassment turned to anxiety and overwhelmed his hard work. After his disappointing fifth place finish in Sapporo he returned to Detroit and gave into the darkness. For several weeks he ate, slept, and occasionally studied. Phichit gave up trying to pull him to the rink or out to socialize after the fourth flat refusal, but he knew his friend and roommate continued to watch over him. He suspected Phichit was reporting on him to Celestino, but he ignored it, much like he had ignored Celestino himself since the loss in Japan. He was dimly grateful that Phichit was looking out for him, up to insisting Yuuri eat at least once a day and shower at least every other day. Yuuri groaned every time, but he was grateful for the care underneath it. He didn’t mention the cake and pizza binges he indulged in every few days in an effort to drown the tears. 

It took a couple weeks for Yuuri to turn his phone back on, mostly fueled by guilt for not calling his mother lately. Mari emailed him regularly, as did Yuko, so he knew they knew he was alive, but his mother liked to hear his voice periodically. It took most of a day for him to manage to find both his phone and his power cord and get it charged. Once it was back on, his notifications naturally exploded. Texts from other skaters, Instagram posts, comments and dms, twitter notifications, emails...red numbers bloomed across the screen, and Yuuri chewed on his lip. It was too much to try to process all at once, so he sighed and opened Instagram first. 

Mostly he ignored everything, scrolling through the few messages to ensure there weren’t any that he particularly needed to answer. The only one that gave him pause was an old message from Victor Nikiforov’s official account dated the morning after the banquet. 

**v-nikiforov**  
Dec 10 10:35a  
~Yuuri! I had a great time last night. I’m so sorry I forgot to get your number. Here’s mine, text me I’d love to talk to you some more about the proposals you made for the coming season!  (Blue Heart) +7xxx-xxx-xxxx. <3 Victor

Yuuri stared at the message, brow furrowed in confusion. Why would Victor reach out to him? After such an embarrassing introduction, surely the champion would want nothing to do with a loser like him. And now that he’d ignored him for a month he probably really wanted nothing to do with Yuuri. Besides, this was probably just something from Victor’s publicist anyway. Probably wanting to make sure Yuuri didn’t post any pictures anywhere that would be potentially damaging to Victor’s reputation. 

Yuuri steadfastly pushed away any thoughts of the heart emoji and clicked over to his photo album. He didn’t think he had any photos of the night in question. He’d been too drunk and focused on Victor to remember to take any. 

It turned out he was almost right. Certainly nothing he would’ve posted, even if he was much of a social media user. Just three blurry selfies. One showed him with an arm around Plisetsky’s shoulders, grinning drunkenly at the camera as Yuri scowled at the side of his competitor’s face, expression murderous. The next was Yuuri and Victor, red cheeks pressed together off-center in the frame. Their bright eyes and wide drunken smiles caught Yuuri’s attention for a moment but eventually he moved on to the third. This one was also him and Victor, but this time they had apparently tried to photograph themselves sharing what appeared to be a very passionate kiss. 

_Oh_. So that had really happened. It hadn’t just been a drunken fantasy Yuuri entertained from dancing for the Russian skater. The conversation which had followed must have been real too.

_~Yuuri was lost in a dream, surrounded by the feel and taste and smell of Victor Nikiforov. Victor’s lips were pressed softly to his, his strong arms wrapped tight around Yuuri. The shutter sounded dimly in his ears on the photo timer just before his hand opened, dropping his phone to the carpet beside them so he could wind his fingers through soft silver hair. Victor’s lips left his and moved down his neck until his lips were brushing Yuuri’s ear._

_“I never want to let you go, my Yuuri.”_

_Yuuri whimpered a little at the sensation washing over his ears. “I wish you didn’t have to. We could stay like this forever.”_

_“Stay close to me, please.” Victor’s tongue brushed along his ear, and Yuuri shivered, moaning a little._

_“Like. Your free skate. It’s so beautiful, who were you skating it for?”_

_Victor pulled back to look into his eyes. “You. I didn’t know it yet, but I was looking for you. And now, here you are. Never doubt, every time I skate that program, it will be for you, always for you.”_

_“Victor…” Yuuri’s voice faltered. How could he respond to such a declaration? “...really?”_

_“Yes, solnyshko, really. You are light and life and I...I need you.”_

_Yuuri trembled in his arms, overwhelmed and unsure how to respond. He settled for pressing soft kisses all over Victor’s face and neck, ending with another passionate locking of lips. ~_

Yuuri chewed on his lip, staring at the selfie. Victor couldn’t have meant it. He’d been drunk. People say things all the time that they don’t mean when they’re drunk. 

_But what if he meant it._ Yuuri shoved that voice away. Even if he meant it in the moment, after a month of radio silence, Victor was unlikely to still want anything to do with him.  
In the weeks that followed though, Yuuri began quietly skating again, a few times a week after hours at the rink. He assiduously avoided Celestino still, but Phichit went with him. The first time he was winded, sweaty and shaking after only an hour of compulsory figures and spins. He spent two days in bed after that, refusing to eat or speak, wallowing in self-loathing for gaining so much weight so quickly and losing so much stamina. 

Phichit eventually dragged him from his bed (literally) and forced him to eat, drink, then shower. The next day they went back to the rink, silently agreeing not to speak of Yuuri’s little breakdown. 

So now Yuuri ate, slept, studied, and skated. The European Championships came around and Yuuri settle in to watch the stream as he always did, bundled in a blanket and with a large pizza beside him. He always said he watched for the competition, but everyone knew it was mostly so he could watch Victor. Nor did Victor disappoint, winning handily yet again, relegating Chris to silver as always, followed distantly by Michele Crispino. Yuuri stared thoughtfully at his computer after the free-skates were over. Phichit bubbled about all the amazing skaters who had competed, looking forward to his own chance against them at World’s. Yuuri mumbled abstracted answers, running over every move and expression Victor had shown on the ice during <>Stammi Vicino. Victor’s voice, deepened by emotion and heavy with his accent rang in Yuuri’s ears.

_“Every time I skate that program, it will be for you, always you.”_

_“I need you.”_

_“Stay close to me, please.”_

Yuuri studied the program over the next several days, letting the feeling of Victor’s longing wash over him. He knew he was just projecting, that it wasn’t really a call for him, that Victor was just putting on a performance as always. It didn’t mean anything. But something drove him to begin practicing, first the step sequences, then the spins and the arm movements, finally adding in the jumps he could manage. 

By the time he hugged Phichit goodbye at the airport, tears standing in both their eyes as Yuuri prepared to return to Hasetsu, he had nearly perfected the routine. 

By the time Yuuri performed the routine for Yuko in the familiar comfort of the Ice Castle, it was the perfect compliment to Victor’s program. He wasn’t even ashamed of it when it went viral, despite knowing he didn’t look his best in the video. He hated the attention it got, but a little piece of him was glad his plea to Victor was out in the world. Even if he knew nothing could ever come of it.


	3. Yes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Yuuri talk while sober. Yuuri almost believes Victor wants him.

Makkachin pouncing on him and knocking the breath out of him was the beginning of the most surreal day of Yuuri’s life, even more so than the banquet itself. The banquet was shrouded in a haze of alcohol and grief, but this...this was stark, sharp reality. Victor’s actual dog, who he had seen in magazine photos and also on Victor’s phone during their one night together was pinning him to the ground and panting excitedly. Yuuri’s actual father was chuckling and actually saying something about a good-looking foreigner in the hot spring. Yuuri was standing beside the actual hot spring pool at his family’s inn, watching his idol and crush rise from the steaming water, naked and perfect, stretch a hand out toward him, and proclaim himself Yuuri’s coach. 

Yuuri moved through the day in a daze, waiting to wake up from this strange dream. It wasn’t until Victor’s fingers caressed his chin while they knelt in an old dining room soon to be Victor’s bedroom that Yuuri finally snapped out of it. 

“Let’s build some trust in our relationship, Yuuri.”

Yuuri jerked his head back, but allowed Victor to keep hold of his hand. “Why are you really here, Victor? You can’t have come all this way just to coach me because of one video. I’m not that good, and you should be competing this season, not wasting your time on a washed up has-been like me.”

“Yuuuuuri,” Victor whined. “Of course you’re not washed up.”

“Victor, I came in sixth. I _lost_. I completely bombed my free skate, and then came home and bombed my Nationals.”

Victor tilted his head, expression sliding from playful (amorous??) to contemplative. “I know. I saw of course. But, that doesn’t make you washed up. Everyone has a bad skate now and then, sometimes even a bad season. Even me. Remember my second year in Seniors, Euros?”

Yuuri blinked and shivered. Yea, that had been a bad spring for Victor. “Yea. But. You kept going.”

“And so are you. You’re already training a bit, I can tell. And now I’m here!” Victor’s smile was brilliant, dazzling even. 

Yuuri remembered his original question. He reclaimed his hand, wrapping his arms around himself, and reiterated it. 

“Victor. _Why are you here._ ”

Victor pursed his lips, and something akin to uncertainty (what…) flashed in his face. “I...thought you wanted me here. You...at the banquet...and then you skated my program. But...maybe you weren’t serious?”

“What? Of course I want you here! You’re...you’re amazing! Why wouldn’t I want you? That’s not the point? Why would you come here, on one drunken promise and a viral video? It just--”

Victor cut him off with a kiss, and Yuuri’s whole mind became the red exclamation emoji. This...this wasn’t their first kiss of course. But, this was different. Victor was _here_. At his _family inn_. And they were _sober_. And Victor...Victor was gently cupping his face like he was made of precious glass, and pressing their lips together like they were meant to fuse. Victor tasted like katsudon, and warmth, and Yuuri was melting from the heat of this kiss. 

Victor pulled away a bare few millimeters, blue eyes gazing deeply into Yuuri’s very soul, and whispered, “I missed you. It was...that was the best night of my life, and then you just...never reached out, or responded, and I wondered if you regretted it. Until someone sent me that video, and I just...I had to come see if you still wanted me. Do you Yuuri?”

Yuuri blinked, befuddled and entranced. Did he want Victor? Who _wouldn’t_ want Victor? 

“Of course. Since always,” he breathed. And then Victor was kissing him again, and all thoughts of anything else left his head entirely. There was only Victor’s lips on his, and Victor’s hands caressing his face, and Victor’s knees pressing on either side of his, and Victor’s back under his hands as he steadied himself on the other man.


	4. Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri runs, and Hiroko helps Victor.

Yuuri came back to himself suddenly, flinging himself out of Victor’s arms, heart pounding wildly in his ears. He threw himself into his room, slamming the door against Victor’s startled cries. He braced against it, heaving for breath, thoughts whirling like an out-of-kilter gyroscope. Terror and joy fought for dominance in his throat, forcing tears and shaky sobs out of his mouth. 

_Who did he think he was, getting so close to Victor so suddenly?_ But. Victor had kissed _him_! He was nothing, beneath Victor’s notice, as demonstrated by the Sochi Grand Prix debacle. But Victor asked if Yuuri wanted him! Like he thought the answer might be no! Victor was the five time World Champion, Grand Prix Gold Medalist, Olympic Gold Medalist, and the hottest bachelor in sports! Everyone wanted Victor! Who was Yuuri to think he should be the one to get to keep him? Coaching was one thing, but kissing? Becoming...lovers?

Yuuri blushed. Was it even allowed for a coach and student to date? Wouldn’t the ISU object? Certainly it would be a scandal. People were coached by their relatives all the time, but a lover was different. 

Yuuri’s breathing quieted, but his mind continued to whirl in circles around the question of Victor and his own feelings. He felt jittery, needing to move. He paced around his room, met at every turn by the icy gaze of his idol. There was nowhere to hide from Victor’s blue gaze here. In a sudden fit, Yuuri dashed around the room, pulling all the old posters down and hastily stashing them under his bed where the static smile could no longer confront him at every turn. His thoughts shifted instead to the bright, heart-shaped grin he had discovered in a darkened ballroom and again this afternoon over katsudon. He liked it better than that smooth media-ready smile. 

He still needed to move. Quietly, he snuck out of his room, heaving a sigh of relief when Victor wasn’t waiting for him in the hall, and crept down the back hallway. A murmur of voices from the kitchen told him his mother had commandeered Victor. Hopefully she would keep him busy enough for Yuuri to straighten his head out with a good run and some quiet time. 

~~~  
Victor stared dumbfounded after his retreating love. It was a blow to his ego, but also a bit to his heart. Not responding for months was one thing, but now Yuuri was running from his kisses! _What did I do wrong??_

Hiroko stepped inside the room carrying a pile of bedding. “Vicchan, I brought this for you to sleep on tonight. Tomorrow we can get you a proper western bed if you’d rather have that than a futon, but for tonight...Vicchan?”

Victor started and blinked. “Oh, yes, thank you Hiroko-san.”

“Are you ok Vicchan?”

“Hrm?” Victor turned his eyes up to her and only then realized that a few tears had slid down his cheeks. He dashed them away hurriedly and pasted a smile on his lips. “Of course! Sorry, I just…”

Hiroko shook her head knowingly as he trailed off, at a loss for an excuse. 

“Did my silly Yuu-chan push you away? That boy!”

“No, It was...I mean yes, but I’m sure...I...I” Victor gulped a huge breath. “I think I may have misunderstood. What he wanted from me.”

“Oh Vicchan. Don’t despair. My poor boy is always pushing people away. He gets overwhelmed. But he doesn’t mean it. He just needs time, to come to himself.” Hiroko patted him gently on the head, a motherly gesture that made Victor feel unaccountably better. “Don’t worry, Yuu-chan always comes back to you. He’s been chasing you his whole life. Give him time.”

Victor murmured, “My friend Chris said the same thing. But just because he’s chasing something doesn’t mean he really wants to catch it.”

Hiroko clucked her tongue. “Come down and have some tea before bed, dear. It’ll make you feel better. Things will look brighter in the morning.”

Victor smiled a little. Yuuri’s mother was so sweet. “Thank you, Hiroko-san. That sounds nice.”

“Please, call me Okaasan.”

A lump formed in Victor’s throat, nearly choking off his words. “Of course. Okaasan.”

The word felt like grace on his tongue, warming him the same way Yuuri’s kisses had. 

~~~  
Yuuri ran his usual route, letting the steady thud of his legs, the rush of blood in his ears, the prickle of sweat down his back all serve to steady and center him. His whirling thoughts slowed, and eventually he felt almost calm. He was no longer standing on the edge of a precipice, staring a panic attack in the face.

He was unfortunately heaving for breath. Victor’s earlier comment about his weight had stung, but the man was right, curse him. Yuuri had lost much, and while he had begun to regain some of it, he still had a ways to go until he was in competition shape again. He flung himself down on the beach, arms draped over his raised knees and head hanging between his shoulders, waiting for the pounding of his heart to return to normal. 

Yuuri realized he had made a decision. He wanted to keep competing, and more importantly, he wanted to do it with Victor at his side. The shock of Victor actually showing up was beginning to wear off, and he was beginning to realize he was happy. Happy that Victor was here, happy Victor seemed to want him both as a student, a friend, a lover even. Yuuri traced his fingers over his lips, remembering the insistent press of Victor’s lips on his own. Remembering his taste and the intoxicating smell of him. 

Here, in the quiet of the night, on the deserted beach of his hometown, the idea of Victor Nikiforov as his lover didn’t seem like quite such a shocking over-reach on his part. After all. Victor had come to him, messaged him, chased him back to Japan, kissed him...It was hard to believe all that effort and evidence of interest were only in Yuuri’s imagination, once his demons quieted. He hoped Victor wasn’t too upset with him for running away. 

The sweat had long dried, and he knew the hour was growing late. He heaved himself to his feet with a groan, and turned back towards home at a gentle jog. He needed to apologize to Victor.  
The Onsen was dark and quiet when he returned. Evidently everyone had retreated to their beds, though a dim light still shone under Mari’s door. Yuuri paused outside the banquet room converted to Victor’s bedroom. He bit his lip, debating internally. The room looked dark, but perhaps…

Yuuri silently slid the door aside and peeked into the room. Someone had made Victor a futon on the floor, surrounded by his many boxes. Makkachin snuggled against her owner’s side, but she raised her head and thumped her tail in soft greeting. A soft light from the hall shone on Victor’s face, illuminating the tears still dampening it. Yuuri’s heart constricted painfully. That was almost certainly his fault. 

Kneeling beside Victor’s bed, he patted Makka’s head and leaned over Victor to softly kiss his forehead and whisper a remorseful _Sumimasen_. The sleeping man stirred, turning his face up towards Yuuri’s, and impulsively he fit his lips over Victor’s for a moment, savoring once more the softness and sweet taste of him. When he pulled back, he saw half-closed blue-eyes trained on his face. 

“Yuuri?” Victor whispered. 

Yuuri blushed at being caught, but smoothed the silver hair away from his forehead. “Shh. I didn’t mean to wake you. I’m sorry.”

Victor’s slow, gentle smile warmed Yuuri to his toes, and made his heart thump wildly. “Please, wake me with kisses any time. Are...are you ok?”

“Yes. I. Uh, you...you should sleep. We’ll talk in the morning?”

Victor’s fingers gripped his. “Stay here? Please?”

Yuuri bit his lip, embarrassment and want warring within him. Victor tugged gently at his hand, and the last of Yuuri’s resistance crumbled. Kicking off his running shoes, he slid under the blankets, allowing Victor to wrap him in his long arms. Victor slid into sleep again almost immediately, but Yuuri lay awake some time longer, cheek pillowed on the firm breast of the other man, and contemplated the abrupt turns his life had taken in a single day. 

However much the changes terrified him, he realized he would face any future terrors a thousand times over to savor this moment of peace, wrapped in the arms of this man. Yuuri’s heart thumped happily as he finally slid into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! I can't tell you how much the response to this has meant to me. All your lovely comments and kudos and subscriptions have really kept me going, and helped me write this chapter. This is the last of what I already had written, but it's NOT the last of what I want to write. For one thing, I promised you all Mature content! 
> 
> This is also the last part that is going to match up with the #yoiprideweek theme days, so whatever I do write beyond this, I will be adding to it later, after that event is over. 
> 
> I hope to keep updating this regularly, but...well... *stares guiltily at other unfinished fics* I kinda _am_ That Author, so I make no promises. I will do my best! And certainly your lovely support and enthusiasm makes me want to keep going! Thank you again for reading!!


	5. Eros and Agape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri Plisetsky stomps his way back into Yuuri's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised! Some more of this AU! 
> 
> I actually finished writing this earlier this week, but I put off posting it so I could post it today after the YOI Movie announcement. I knew I would want all the possible opportunities to squeal about the news! Though, I was just as delighted by the Yuri on Concert performance itself. It was so much fun, and reminded me again how much I really love the canon material. As for the Movie!!! I am just so psyched and excited. I came relatively late to the fandom, not even watching the show until a few months after it finished airing. But this time I get to experience the excitement and hype of the fandom as it comes. Anyway, if you want to squeal or speculate or just say to me, you can catch me at [my tumblr](http://thebookewyrme.tumblr.com)!

Yuri Plisetsky’s re-advent into Yuuri’s life was just as violently angry as their first meeting had been. Yuuri picked himself up off the floor, rubbing the back of his head and his rear where pain flared from their violent introduction to the rink floor.   
“Yuri. What...are you doing here?” 

The teen had calmed somewhat, and merely growled. “Victor promised to choreograph my senior debut for me. And then he fucked off here to Japan in pursuit of your lame ass instead. Where is the old man?”

“Ah? Victor? He’s...he’s skating I think. I was supposed to meet him here after my morning run to begin some on-ice training.”

Plisetsky turned and stalked off toward the inner door of the rink, shouting for Victor in Russian. Yuuri quickly followed after, a feeling of foreboding settling in his chest. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the prickly angry teen, it just was another sign, like the journalists, of the encroaching outside world into their little bubble of existence. The past week had been peaceful, aside from the journalists who had quickly grown bored of watching Yuuri puffing red-faced up endless stone stairs while Victor smiled encouragingly. Nothing about Yuri Plisetsky was peaceful. 

Victor skated off the ice to pounce on Plisetsky with a bear-hug and a welcoming grin of genuine delight. He spouted something in Russian, and Plisetsky snarled back while halfheartedly attempting to shove Victor off of him. Victor backed off and turned to smile at Yuuri, switching to English. 

“Look who’s here! Yura came to visit! We should have a party!” Victor’s bubbling enthusiasm was cut off though, when Plisetsky snarled back.

“I didn’t come to visit old man, I came to make you keep your promise! You promised me a program, so you better come back to Russia with me and make good on that!”

Yuuri’s stomach dropped abruptly, his eyes widening in horror. The last week had been nice, quiet, slow. Getting to know each other a little. Training, trading kisses, running together, playing with Makka, cuddling to sleep together at night. But that’s all it was, still exploratory. And Victor clearly had other obligations, duties in Russia. He couldn’t stay here with Yuuri forever, on some sort of extended holiday from his real life as Russia’s Living Legend and the greatest figure skater of all time. But even knowing he couldn’t keep Victor forever, the prospect of Victor leaving so soon had Yuuri’s heart racing unpleasantly. 

Victor frowned in thought. “Yura…”

“No! No excuses! You promised and you owe me!” Plisetsky’s voice sounded almost hysterical beneath the anger, even through the haze of Yuuri’s despair. 

Victor raised his hands placatingly. “Of course I’m going to keep my promise.” Yuuri’s heart stopped, his eyes dilating in a sort of terror. Victor met his gaze briefly, then took Yuuri’s hand and pulled him into his side. “But I’m not going back to Russia. I’ll call Yakov and tell him you’re staying with me for a bit while I choreograph for you and train you in the program. But I made promises here too.”

Yuuri started breathing again, relief washing through him. Victor wasn’t leaving. Not yet anyway. The intensity of his relief made his knees a little weak. 

Victor continued musing over Plisetsky’s grumbling. “You’ll stay at the Inn with us of course, Yura. Mama Katsuki is the best, and such a good cook. You’ll love it. And the onsen!” Victor rolled his eyes in exaggerated pleasure. “You’ll have to stay long enough to really learn the choreography of course. Think you can do it in a week?”

Plisetsky snarled “I can learn your stupid choreography in a day. But why do we have to stay with Katsuki at all?”

Victor continued on as if Plisetsky hadn’t spoken. “I wonder what we should do to make sure you’ve really learned it. And of course I’ll have to pick a song.” Victor snapped his fingers “Ah! I have it! One I meant to use, with two different arrangements. I’ll do one arrangement for each of you, like companion pieces for my Yuris! It’ll be so great!”

Yuuri smiled back at the warm smile Victor bestowed on him, until what he’d said sank into Yuuri’s brain properly. “What, wait, what??”

Plisetsky seemed equally unimpressed with this plan. “Skate to the same song as this loser? No way!! Pick a different song!”

Victor smiled beautifically. “No not the same song, two songs on the same theme. It’s perfect. And then…”

Three small voices chorused behind him, where the Nishigori triplets had snuck up to listen into this conversation. “THEN WE HAVE AN ICE SHOW! The Yuris on Ice! Let us organize it, it’ll be great, and they can showcase their new skates!”

Victor actually squealed as he spun around to look down on the girls. In only a week the three had already switched their allegiance from Yuuri to Victor, who had become fast friends with the three miniature menaces. 

“Perfect! That’s a perfect idea! And with my name on it, it’ll be sure to draw crowds. And you two will certainly want to work hard to impress me, I’m know! That’s settled then. Come on, lets go get Yura settled and have lunch with Mama Hiroko!”

How had Yuuri’s life come to this, in an unsanctioned ice show choreographed by his...coach against one of his rivals, organized by six-year-old skating otakus. Recently his life had begun to feel like some sort of absurd anime, each day more bizarre than the last.

Numbly he followed his coach (friend? boyfriend?) and the others back to the onsen. 

~~~  
The work began the very next morning. Yuuri and the newly dubbed Yurio did their morning run and off-ice training then Yuuri took Plisetsky along to dance class, where Yurio tried very hard to act unimpressed by Minako and mostly failed. Victor went straight to the Ice Castle and began smoothing out the bits of choreography for the pieces he had already created. He hadn’t been willing to let them listen to the music ahead of time, saying that would “ruin the surprise” for them. 

After lunch, Yuuri took his small angry shadow back to the Ice Castle to await their fate. They laced up their skates in silence and went to meet Victor. Victor bounced to his feet eagerly, ruffling Yurio’s hair and dropping a light kiss on Yuuri’s cheek that made him burn a bit. 

“Yura! Yuuri! Good, you’re here! Perfect timing! Stand over here and watch. I’ll show you each first, and then we’ll get started properly.” Victor laid down the notebook he had been writing in beside the portable sound system, along with his skate guards, and skated to the middle of the rink. “Ok, first I’m going to do Yura’s. This song is called On Love: Agape. Go ahead and press play, please?”

Yuuri pressed play on the sound system, then watched in awe as Victor turned into a floating, silver-haired angel, gliding across the ice as the embodiment of unconditional love. No matter how many times he saw Victor skate in person since his arrival in Yuuri’s life, the awe never quite left him. After everything else, he was still Yuuri’s idol. Even though it was new choreography, and he left out any jumps, Victor made it look so easy, despite the highly technical program.

After the song drew to an end, Yuuri stared, stunned. Plisetsky nodded sharply.

“Ok, got it. But can I really win with all this innocence crap, old man? You promised me a winning program!”

Victor smiled his sunniest smile, the one he reserved for when he was about to be his harshest. “Of course, if I skated it, I would win with it. Whether you win is up to you, Yura. You have to surprise the audience, draw them in, show them the power of your love. Unconditional Love Yura. Surely you can do something as simple as that?”

Victor let that sink in, then turned back to Yuuri and motioned for him to start the next song. “This is On Love: Eros, for you my Yuuri.”

What followed was some of the most boldly sensuous skating Yuuri had ever seen. It drew him in, made him want Victor to throw him down somewhere and have his way with Yuuri’s body. They hadn’t yet had sex, or done more than some heavy make-out sessions, and this skate made Yuuri realize that perhaps he was missing out. 

The song wound to its flamboyant close, and Yuuri found himself on the ice, with no memory of having stepped out onto it. His body was drawn to Victor’s by an invisible force. Victor skated closer, apparently drawn by the same force, until they were nearly pressed together, Victor’s hand coming up to cup Yuuri’s cheeks.

“What do you think, Yuuri? Eros enough?”

Yuuri’s face burned, the spreading blush lighting his face like a blazing torch. He stared mesmerized into the ice blue eyes mere inches from his own. No. Not ice blue. The ice was entirely melted into warm pools of desire. Victor’s thumb left fire in its wake as it traced across his lower lip. Yuuri fought the instinct to lick his lip and by extension the thumb. He barely registered Victor’s low-voiced comment about his true eros through the buzzing static that filled his head. Victor was so close. Close enough to kiss, if either of them moved a bare inch. Close enough to feel Yuuri’s stirring arousal perhaps. Yuuri blurrily blessed himself for deciding to wear his dance belt to practice that day. The protective item would serve as a layer of protection against embarrassment. Good job, morning Yuuri.

Yurio’s angry shout broke the spell. Victor turned, spoke, began to move away. Yuuri suppressed an irrational feeling of profound loss as the warmth of Victor’s presence and attention shifted away. Victor turned back, hand still outstretched, playful smile on his face to instruct Yuuri to think about eros, then finally left Yuuri standing in the middle of the rink filled with a bubbling fire spreading outward from his groin.

Teenagers should be _illegal_. But more importantly, he was pretty sure skating to _that_ was going to get him banned for indecency. Assuming he could pull off that level of eros at all!

He was just so screwed.


	6. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Onsen on Ice Show, and Victor and Yuuri are affected by the passion of Yuuri's Eros.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! First, I just want to say, all your comments, kudos, bookmarks, and subscriptions are really motivating me to keep working on this story. Thank you so much for the amazing response this story has gotten! I really can't express how much it means to me! 
> 
> Anyway, I decided to celebrate the birth of my country this July 4th in the only truly American way: by posting gay ice-skater smut to AO3. Yep, this is the chapter I earn that mature rating up there! (I very nearly upped it to explicit, but I held myself back a bit.)
> 
> Hope you enjoy! And remember, being gay is the American way! ;)

Overall, the Onsen on Ice Show went pretty well. Victor was pleased at the modest crowd of mostly locals who attended. He was even more pleased by the group of die-hard Katsuki fans who came to see the performance, as well as a few sports journalists. Yurio had performed admirably, and Victor knew he was going to be able to take his Agape performance far. Victor made sure to shower his pride on his young protege, much to the teen’s professed disgust. Victor had merely grinned. 

But Yuuri! Yuuri had been amazing, as Victor knew he would be. Despite a bout of apparent nerves just prior to his performance, he had really brought all his eros to the ice. Victor didn’t know what Minako had been teaching him the last few days when Yuuri had stayed past Yurio leaving the studio, but it must have worked. Victor would have to thank her somehow for unlocking Yuuri’s potential for sensuality on the ice. 

Though Yuuri’s Eros had been a bit...hard for him. Luckily he had elected to wear a long coat, or the whole rink would have been able to tell how very _interested_ Victor had been in the performance. Even now, after it was all over and they were returning to the Katsukis’, the arousal bubbled through his veins and under his skin. Every brush of Yuuri’s hand against his, every glance from warm brown eyes, every little smile on those perfect lips had Victor shivering and biting his lip to keep himself from pinning Yuuri to the nearest flat surface and ravishing him. Yurio kept throwing him disgusted looks, and was even now declaring his intention of spending the night at Yuuko’s house before his flight out in the morning. Victor responded only distractedly. Yuuko had offered to drive him to the airport anyway, so it made sense. Victor was definitely not swayed by the thought of finally having the prickly teen out of his closet, and the possibilities that raised for activities involving his bed and with any luck, Yuuri himself. 

Victor followed Yuuri to his room at the onsen, closing the door firmly. 

“Victor?” Yuuri paused in pulling his jacket off, giving him an inquisitive look. “Um. I need...to change. Before dinner?”

Victor crossed the room and gently finished removing Yuuri’s black Mizuno jacket. “I know. Let me help you? I...know how awkward that zipper is to undo by yourself.”

Yuuri made an incoherent noise, a blush spreading to cover his face and neck. Victor very nearly died at how adorable he was. But Yuuri also turned and presented his back to Victor to allow him to unzip the costume. 

Victor’s heart began to pound as he drew the zip slowly down, revealing creamy tan skin, just begging to be kissed. Victor could never resist beggars. Yuuri sighed at each gentle press of Victor’s lips, and slowly the tension eased from his shoulders. Victor slipped the black fabric over Yuuri’s arms until his entire torso was bare, then wrapped his arms around Yuuri and continued pressing gentle kisses to his neck and shoulders.

“You skated so beautifully, my Yuuri” he whispered against Yuuri’s ear, making the other man shiver. 

With one last kiss to the back of his neck, Victor knelt behind Yuuri and began working the material over his hips, placing kisses on each side, reveling in the smooth skin, making sure to kiss each faded stretch-mark and freckle on either side. Yuuri twitched a bit at that, but didn’t protest. Pulling the fabric down to Yuuri’s thighs presented Victor with the perfect ass, framed only by the straps of a dance belt. His own pants feeling uncomfortably tight, Victor couldn’t resist nipping slightly at one cheek, thrilling to the sound of Yuuri’s breath catching in his throat, and the stuttering twitch of his hips. 

“Turn around?” Victor’s voice came out low, and quite a bit huskier than he’d intended. Yuuri shivered again, but complied. Even through the padding, Victor could see the faint shape of Yuuri’s cock straining against the fabric. “That looks uncomfortable. We should probably free it.”

Victor slipped his fingers under the elastic, looking up at Yuuri for permission before drawing the belt down as well. He had to take a moment just to enjoy the sight of Yuuri, hard and straining for him. This certainly wasn’t the first time he’d seen Yuuri naked, thanks to the onsen, but it was different here in the privacy of Yuuri’s room, with Yuuri’s arousal staring him in the face. Before he even quite realized what he was doing, he leaned forward to taste, his tongue lapping at the leaking slit. 

“Victor! Dinner!” Yuuri’s words were strangled, hips stuttering forward, his hand coming to rest in Victor’s hair, pulling his head back slightly. Victor gazed up at him, mesmerized by the dark look in Yuuri’s eye, and the slight sting of his fist in Victor’s hair. 

“I’d rather have you for dinner.”

Yuuri groaned, covering his face with his hands. “Victoooruuu.”

Victor gave a small laugh, and turned back to undressing Yuuri the rest of the way. He reverently removed each trainer, inspecting Yuuri’s feet one at a time for wounds needing bandaging or medication and placing a small kiss on the top of each before sliding the pant-legs of the costume down. 

Naked, Yuuri stood for a moment looking down into Victor’s eyes, his expression unbearably fond, before stroking Victor’s hair once and moving away to rummage in his closet for clean clothes and a bath-robe. While Yuuri stepped away to rinse off in the shower, Victor sat on his heels, the costume clutched in his hands as he silently argued with his own erection. Yuuri was right, they would be expected downstairs soon for a celebratory dinner and farewell party for Yurio. But his dick had other ideas, and it took several long minutes for Victor to talk it down to more reasonable expectations with firm reassurances of later, damnit!

~~~~~~~  
Downstairs in the main room of the onsen, a small dinner feast, featuring katsudon in honor of Yurio’s departure and their hard work, was already under way. The skaters were pressed into accepting food. Laughter and drinks flowed, and Victor simmered. Every fiber of his being was straining toward Yuuri, but he held himself back, here in the heart of Yuuri’s family.   
Yurio pulled him aside near the end, scowling and glaring at the way he kept Yuuri’s hand clasped tightly in his own, pulling the younger man along with them into the corner. Yurio’s voice was harsh in his Russian. “You sure you won’t come home, Vitya? Yakov misses you.”

Victor knew that meant Yurio missed him too, and he found himself unexpectedly touched. He dropped Yuuri’s hand and pulled the blond boy into a tight hug. But he spoke in English, as he stepped back. “I miss you all too, but I am home Yura. Wherever Yuuri is.”

Yuuri’s gasp behind him nearly didn’t register, but he gladly accepted Yuuri’s hand back in his again as the teenager scowled at him and kicked the floor.

“Fine! I’m gonna kick Katsudon’s ass this season then! See if I don’t!”

Victor grinned. “We love you too Yura!”  
~~~

At last the food was eaten, Yurio was packed and loaded into the Nishigori’s van, goodbyes were said, and finally _finally_ Victor was pulling Yuuri into his room and carefully closing the door. Yuuri gazed up at him through his eyelashes, a small smirk on his lips, emboldened by a glass of celebratory sake. Victor broke. 

Yuuri’s lips tasted of sake and katsudon, and his skin was warm and flushed. Victor wound his hands through Yuuri’s soft black hair and reveled in the push of their lips together. 

“What was that for?” Yuuri gasped, when they pulled a few millimeters apart.

“I loved seeing you in my old costume. You’re so gorgeous my Yuuri.” 

Yuuri’s dark eyes were luminous in the soft light of the single bedside lamp. Victor drew him over toward the bed, pulling on Yuuri’s hand as he sat on the edge of the bed. Yuuri took the cue and settled into Victor’s lap, knees straddling his hips. Victor’s hands moved to grip Yuuri’s hips and hold on. 

“What do you want, my Yuuri?”

“Just you.” Yuuri wound his hands through Victor’s hair, pulling him into a deep kiss, and Victor realized he had meant it. Here, in this room, Yuuri’s lips on his and Yuuri’s hands tugging in his hair, he felt more at home and surrounded by love than he ever had in his life. 

They pulled apart again. “You can have me, any way you want me, for as long as you want. I’m yours, Yuuri.”

Yuuri’s breath stuttered and he flung himself at Victor so they toppled backwards onto the bed, kissing and pressing into each other like they meant to meld together. Victor felt the pulsing of Yuuri against his stomach through their clothes, reawakening his own banked desire with a rush. Suddenly the kisses and caresses became urgent, clothing pushed aside and eventually discarded between each passionate kiss. Victor savored each push of Yuuri’s tongue and the feel of every inch of Yuuri’s skin pressed against him or shivering under his touch. He skirted one hand around between them, the other gripping at Yuuri’s ass in a nearly bruising hold. In the warm, sweaty space between their bodies, he took hold of them together and they began to move. Kisses became interspersed with moans and pants, broken words of encouragement and endearments as they hurried toward the finish. Yuuri shivered apart in his arms, nearly sobbing with release, and Victor followed him faithfully. 

After, they lay wrapped in each other, legs still dangling over the edge of the bed, come sticky between them, breaths heaving into each other’s necks. Victor’s heart soared, and he vaguely wondered if it was possible to actually explode from happiness. 

‘Ya lyublyu tebya’ he whispered, barely more than a breath, a release for some of the bursting emotion only barely contained by his skin. Yuuri shivered and clutched at him, burying his face in Victor’s neck. 

Victor drifted on a sea of emotion and exhaustion, letting Yuuri guide them through a hasty wipe-down and rearranging themselves more comfortably together on the pillows. His last thought before sleep claimed him was that he should be taking care of Yuuri, but he had never been so happy to be cared for. 

Victor woke with sun streaming onto his face and love warming his body, to find an empty bed. He pouted to find Yuuri’s pillow cold and empty, but knew his beloved’s dedication to training wouldn’t have kept him asleep for long into the new day. The pout transformed to real fear when he realized Yuuri was nowhere to be found. For the rest of the day. 

Where had Victor gone wrong, to chase Yuuri so thoroughly, not just from his bed but from Yuuri’s own home? As night-time approached with no sign from him, Victor began to fear he had somehow chased Yuuri right out of his life.


	7. Running

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri runs away, before they go to the beach. This is mostly Yuuri being anxious about a lot of stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Sorry it took me a bit longer than I'd meant to before I got this posted. But the response to this fic has really blown me away, and gotten me excited to keep writing it. I'm so grateful to all of you who have commented and subscribed and left kudos. Seriously, you guys are all the best, thank you so much! 
> 
> Special shout-out to my girl jfmesq whose enthusiasm and dramatic suffering inspired me to hurry up and finish writing this chapter! Here it is, the next chapter, first thing today as promised my dear!
> 
> The next chapter may take a little while, because I'm still figuring out where exactly they go on from here. Please be patient with me, and feel free to come scream at me and encourage me to keep writing at my tumblr [@TheBookewyrme](http://thebookewyrme.tumblr.com)!

Yuuri was running away, and he knew it. He tried to tell himself it was just his usual morning run, at his normal time. Well, almost. His normal wake-up time was only an hour away. But he knew he was lying to himself. He was trying to outrun the voices in his head determined to ruin one of the best nights of his life. Of course, that was the problem. He had put his horrible, disgusting body all over _Victor Nikiforov_ last night, subjected him to Yuuri’s clumsiness and inexperience, and generally made a fool of himself. Every awkward move, inelegant gesture, clumsy accident, and embarrassing noise chased through his head like a parade of horrors. The thoughts drowned out the small voice insisting Victor had wanted it, replaying Victor’s whispered words of wonder and delight, focusing on the way Victor had whimpered and writhed beneath him as he’d come to no avail. 

So Yuuri ran, far past the point of any optimal exercise. He ran until his feet ached, his lungs burned, and he had a stitch in his side. He ran until the sun was well up, and he realized he’d circled Hasetsu at least five times. He ran until the voices were blessedly silent. 

Morning birdsong unfortunately brought different voices. He had run off, directly after the first time he and Victor had sex, leaving Victor alone in bed. New embarrassment over his freak-out swamped him. What would Victor think, waking up alone? Probably that Yuuri was rejecting him. Or even that Yuuri was one of those people who slept with someone once and then never spoke to them again. Which, in fairness, was true up to this point. Yuuri’s few drunken fumbles had left him avoiding all his previous partners completely, even going so far as to change classes in order to avoid one girl, and dropping out of a club so he never had to talk to a certain boy again. 

It would be much harder to never speak to Victor again, since the man not only was his coach now, but lived with him. Oh god, he could never go home again. Or at least, he couldn’t go home right now. Nor could he go to the ice-rink, Victor would surely find him there. 

Yuuri stood bent over, hands braced on his knees, sharp pants burning his lungs, and tried to think where he could hide for the rest of the day. Minako. Minako would hide him. She always had before. Yuuri slowly straightened and made his way to the dance studio, knowing she would let him in, even at this early hour. 

For the next several hours, he danced with Minako, letting her familiar presence and the soothing sound of her instructions wash away his anxiousness. But like all things, this too had to come to an end. Minako finally had to leave him to open the snack-bar. She ruffled Yuuri’s hair and left, after extracting a promise under threat of dire consequences, that Yuuri would rest every couple of hours, drink water, and eat something. 

Yuuri was alone again with his thoughts, which skittered off in a new direction of worry. This time, he latched onto Victor’s comment to Yurio about _being at home with Yuuri_. And what had he really meant by that? Because it sounded like a declaration of staying, but that couldn’t be right. Yuuri couldn’t keep Victor forever, he knew that. 

_Could he?_

No. It was impossible. 

_“I’m yours Yuuri.”_

_“As long as you want me”_

Yuuri finally threw off the thoughts again and drowned all the voices in dance, until his legs collapsed beneath him and he simply lay on the floor of the dance studio, a blessedly calm, sweaty puddle of exhausted humanity. 

Much later, after Minako rousted him from the studio, fed him, and lectured him, he snuck back into the Onsen. Managing to avoid seeing anyone, he collapsed into his bed and a dreamless sleep. He was awakened by Victor flinging his door open and singing his name in an overly cheerful voice.

“Yuuuri! Let’s go for a walk!”  
~~~

Victor was worried the first day when he couldn’t find Yuuri. But by the time the second morning rolled around and Yuuri still hadn’t made an appearance either at breakfast or the rink, he had grown annoyed. This could not go on any longer, and he set about searching for Yuuri more determinedly. By the time he tracked Yuuri back to his own bedroom, Victor was quietly seething. But he pasted a bright smile on and forced some cheer into his voice as he woke Yuuri up with a suggestion for a walk. 

Yuuri’s fearful expression as he slunk along obediently beside Victor quickly dissipated Victor’s irritation, and the worry flooded back. They walked along quietly, not touching or talking yet, letting the cool morning air clear away any head-fog. Their steps brought them to a quiet part of the beach, and they stopped as one. Victor sat down on a low embankment and Yuuri followed suit after a moment, Makkachin settling calmly between them. They sat quietly, watching the waves and the skidding clouds and the raucous gulls. The peaceful scene settled Victor, and at last he broke the silence. 

“This place always reminds me of St. Petersburg. The gulls, the sea, the grey sky. It almost makes me homesick. I never really thought I’d leave there.”

Yuuri was quiet for a bit, but at last he spoke quietly. “I’m sorry I keep pushing you away and running. I do it a lot, whenever I’m feeling vulnerable. It’s not just you. One time I literally shoved a girl who was just trying to comfort me. I don’t want to be seen as weak.”

Victor blinked, snorting a little. Honestly, this boy. “Yuuri, you’re _not_ weak. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met.”

Yuuri’s body was curled in on itself, and he was actually speaking to his knees by now. “I just. I didn’t want you to see me breaking like that. I hate letting anyone see my shortcomings.”

Victor took a deep breath and steeled himself. “Yuuri. What do you want from me? You have to know by now that I’d do anything for you. I’ll be anything, go anywhere you tell me to. Just tell me what to change, and I will. I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide from me anymore!”

Yuuri nearly jumped, blinking down at Victor as he stood and began to pace. “What? No! Victor, I just…” Running a hand through his dark hair, Yuuri gulped and continued. “Victor, I just want you to be you. I’ve...I’ve looked up to you for so long, it’s just hard to let you see me like this.”

Something warm and new unfurled in Victor’s chest at Yuuri’s words. No one had ever wanted him to just _be_ before. Everyone always wanted something from him. Wanted him to be The Champion, The Sexy Bachelor, to win, to look pretty, to _Be Something_. He stared up at his beautiful Yuuri as the other man stopped and stood directly before him, fists clenched and eyes boring into Victor’s. 

“I promise, I will do better Victor. I...I’ll make it all up to you. I’m going to skate my best. And...and I’m going to kiss you every day. Because you deserve only the best of me.”

“Yuuri.” Victor’s voice was soft, gentle, as he stood and wrapped his arms around Yuuri’s waist, pressing their foreheads together. “I don’t want just the best. I want all of you, my beautiful Yuuri. I’m selfish like that.”

Yuuri blushed, closing his eyes, and whispering, “Ok. I will do my best with that too.”

Victor squeezed Yuuri tightly and winked, trying to lighten the mood. “I do like the sound of that kissing me every day part though. Perhaps you can start right now?”

The sound of Yuuri’s giggle rang through Victor’s heart, brightening the grey morning and lightening the gloom of the past day. Yuuri’s hands laced through his hair and drew him down for a sweet, gentle kiss, a brush of lips that somehow begged forgiveness and promised love. Victor sighed into it, the world feeling right for the first time since he had fallen asleep in Yuuri’s arms two nights ago. 

They broke apart and Victor nuzzled against Yuuri’s cheek, whispering into his ear. “I missed you, my Yuuri. So much.”

“I’m so sorry.” Yuuri buried his face in Victor’s neck, his breath ghosting over Victor’s skin and making him shiver. “I just...I got so scared and panicked all of a sudden. About. Us. And, well, my body, and you, and...I’m sorry.”

Victor’s arms tightened instinctively, and he stroked a soothing hand through Yuuri’s soft hair. “Shhh, it’s ok now. We don’t have to have sex again, if you...I mean. Whatever you’re comfortable with. I will love you no matter what.”

“No!” Yuuri’s voice was suddenly fierce, and he drew back, staring intently at Victor. “I _want_ to have sex with you. As often as possible!”

Victor blinked. “Ok. Then we will.”

Yuuri looked down, suddenly bashful again. “Just. Uh, be patient with me?”

“Ok.” Victor was quiet for a moment, letting the crash of the waves soothe them both as he pulled Yuuri back into his arms. Finally, his voice hopeful, he asked “How about right now?”

“Hm? Right now what?” Yuuri looked up at him, a blank look on his face. 

Victor felt the blush starting on his nose, and he looked up, not meeting Yuuri’s eyes. He was the most eligible bachelor in the world, he shouldn’t be having trouble asking a boy (his boyfriend?) to bed! It wasn’t even their first time!

“Um. Us? I mean, it’s fine if you need more time, but I thought, well, it’s been an emotional few days and Minako said you danced a really long time yesterday, and I thought maybe we should have a rest day today, but if we’re going to rest we maybe should find some way to occupy ourselves, and cardio is good even on rest days and-” Victor snapped his mouth shut, cutting off the nervous babble. 

Yuuri blinked up at him, realization slowly crawling across his beautiful features, quickly followed by a hint of amusement.

“Ah. I did dance, and run, a long time yesterday. Perhaps I need a good soak and a massage? And then some distraction and stress relief would probably be good too.”

Victor giggled with delight, and picked Yuuri up to swirl him around with enthusiasm. Setting his love back on his feet, Victor took his hand and led him eagerly back toward the Onsen, Makkachin following obediently after them. Yuuri had such amazing ideas. They were going to be _such_ a good team!


	8. Boyfriends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get together and have some good old fashioned filthy fun before the real work begins!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi folks! I'm so sorry for the delay! I actually finished writing this chapter a week ago, but I wasn't quite happy with it, so I finally decided to break down and get someone to beta the whole thing for me. I am eternally grateful for my dear Ineptshieldmaid, who took precious packing time to help me tighten this chapter up considerably! Thank you, you're the best as always! <3
> 
> Also, you may notice there are emojis! I was super grateful to be given the secret of how to get emojis in my text by the ever-amazing [ratherunnecessary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ratherunnecessary/pseuds/ratherunnecessary) ! They gave me a link to [this amazing tutorial](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6580324?view_full_work=true), so I have created the skin for this work. I've even gone back and added the emojis I wanted in previous chapters into the text! I'm learning a ton about css and other coding from this too!
> 
> Anyway, eagle-eyed readers will notice I've updated the tags some as well. I'll keep trying to update them as I keep writing. And with that, I'll quit babbling and let you get to the good stuff! ^_~

**Me  
** **12:10pm**  
CHRIS I HAVE A BOYFRIEND!!!  (Face Screaming In Fear )

**Chris the Swiss  
** **12:15pm**  
Victor. Do you have any idea what time it is. 

****Me  
**** **12:16pm**  
chriiiiiiss!!! Yuuri said yes!! 

****Chris the Swiss  
**** **12:20pm**  
(Face With Rolling Eyes )Congrats. There was never a chance he was going to say no, you know. 

**12:21pm**  
Don’t forget I called dibs on best man already!  (Smirking Face )

**~~~~  
** **Me  
** **12:15pm**  
Phichit!!! Are you around?? SOS 

****Peach (Hamster Face )  
**** **12:17pm**  
what??? what is it? hair, clothes, skating??? 

****Me  
**** **12:19pm**  
I SLEPT WITH VICTOR 

****Peach (Hamster Face )  
**** **12:20pm**  
WHAT omg girl DISH! 

****Me  
**** **12:25pm**  
AND THEN HE ASKED ME TO BE HIS BOYFRIEND! 

**12:26pm**  
AND THEN WE HAD MORE SEX. 

**12:27pm**  
phichit i am freaking out help me out here i’m gonna fuck this up i already did omg pichit after the first time i ran away and hid for an entire fucking day oh my god phichit HELP. 

~~~  
The first words out of Phichit’s mouth when Yuuri answered the phone were “Ok, Yuuri honey, I need you to breathe. It’s going to be ok.” 

Yuuri huffed and whisper-screamed into the phone _“I am breathing damnit!!”_

Victor had only gone to get them some food, citing a need to keep their strength up during the afternoon. Yuuri was still sitting, naked (Victor had threatened him with squats if he dared to put on pants), in Victor’s bed, clutching his phone. He didn’t want Victor to overhear his little freak-out just yet, but hearing Phichit’s calm voice did help some. 

“Ok, ok, calm down. It’s ok.” Phichit hummed briefly. “Did you really run away and hide after the first time?” 

Yuuri groaned. “Oh god Phichit yes, it was awful, I can’t believe he still asked me to go out with him after that. And then he said he loved me!” 

Yuuri had to hold the phone away from his ear or risk a ruptured ear-drum from the force of Phichit’s squeal. 

“Oh my god YUURI THAT’S AMAZING!! Ohhh I’m your best man, right? Promise me I’ll be your best man!” 

“Phichiiiit” Yuuri whined. “We just started dating today. It’s much too soon. It probably won’t work out. After the Final he’ll probably go back to his own career and his real life and be done. This is...just...I mean I’m sure it’s just a fling and a break and-” 

“Ok, no, sweetie stop. The man said he _loved_ you. He moved to Japan for you, after one drunken party and a video. You have to stop thinking the worst of people who care about you!” 

“I’m!! not...I just…” A noise in the hall made Yuuri jump. “Oh Victor’s coming, gotta go, love-you-Peach-bye!” 

Yuuri hung up on Phichit’s outraged screech and tossed his phone back on the bedside table. Victor slid the door aside and stepped through carrying a tray. His green onsen yukata was a little open, revealing his chest and neck, and a few red marks left there by Yuuri’s teeth. Yuuri blushed, looking at him, and felt his body begin to react almost immediately. 

“Who was that, lyubov moya?” Victor’s tone was cheerful, but there was something tight around his eyes. 

“Oh, uh, just Phichit,” Yuuri looked away, fighting his blushes again. “Um. I told him about us. Is that ok?” 

Victor smiled softly at him, setting the tray on the bed and leaning over to place a soft kiss on Yuuri’s forehead. “Of course darling. I told Chris. He yelled at me for waking him up, but I couldn’t wait any longer.” Victor grinned. “Then he reminded me he called dibs on best man.” 

Yuuri’s face was flaming, and he knew the blush was spreading down his whole chest. He muttered into his hands, “So did Phichit-kun.” 

Victor giggled. “We’ll have to make them duel for it then!” 

“Victooooru,” Yuuri whined into his hands. “Don’t tease!” 

Victor laughed and wrapped Yuuri in his arms, peppering the black hair with little kisses until Yuuri emerged from behind his hands. They settled in to eat, Yuuri snuggled up to Victor’s side under his arm, feeding each other tidbits and simply enjoying a quiet moment of affection. 

After a while, Victor finally broke the silence. “So. You and Phichit. Pretty close, huh?” 

“Hmm?” Yuuri blinked up at him. “Oh, yea, definitely. I mean, he’s my best friend. He knows stuff about me no one else does, and hopefully no one else ever will.” Yuuri winced slightly thinking about some of the things Phichit knew about him. The Hockey Player Episode, the thing he’d caught Yuuri doing with one of Victor’s posters, the Regrettable Incident With Noodles….if Phichit ever decided to blackmail him, he was just in _so much trouble_. Yuuri hurried on. “I mean, he’s always supporting me, and pushing me to be my best, and take chances I’ll regret missing out on. He’s honestly a lot better to me than I deserve. I haven’t been the greatest friend lately, and he...he took care of me a lot this last year.” 

Yuuri chewed on his lip a bit, and glanced at Victor. Victor’s head was bent, his bangs hiding his eyes as he stared intently at his own food. Yuuri could feel the fingers of the hand resting on his hip beating a nervous tattoo against his skin. He hated when Victor hid from him, as hypocritical as it sounded. And he wasn’t even sure why at this point. 

“That’s good. I’m. I’m glad you had someone looking out for you.” Victor took a deep breath and glanced at him through the fall of silver hair. “So. You two ever…?” 

Yuuri stared at Victor blankly. “Ever what?” 

“You know.” Victor shifted restlessly against him. “Date?” 

Yuuri blinked, going very still. _What?_ “Uh, what?” 

“I mean!” Victor rushed on, “I wouldn’t blame you, he’s a good looking guy, and obviously cares a lot about you. I just, you know, don’t want to step on any toes or anything!” 

Yuuri shook his head, smiling a little. This didn't make any sense, _he_ was supposed to be the anxious insecure mess. “No, we never dated. I mean, we made out once, and we’ve been close a long time. But, it just would've been weird, you know? I mean, like you and Chris, just...not right?”  
Victor had started looking happier until that last bit, when he looked away again quickly. But not before Yuuri saw the blush spreading across Victor’s cheeks. Yuuri blinked, staring at his new boyfriend. 

“Wait. Oh my god. You….you...the rumors were _true_?” 

Victor rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. “Uh, I mean, probably not all of them. But yea. We, uh, a few times. But it never really meant anything! We were young and horny and he was my best friend!” 

The expression on Victor’s face was almost pleading, and Yuuri broke. He snorted, then broke into giggles, finally falling over sideways, holding his sides and howling. 

“Yuuuuriiii, don’t laugh at me!” Victor pouted. Yuuri laughed harder. 

“I’m s-s-sorry, but your f-face! I j-j-just!” Yuuri gulped trying to control his giggles again, sitting up and wiping his eyes a little. Turning to Victor, he turned the pouty face towards his and gently kissed the puckered lips. Victor relaxed against him, and Yuuri smiled sweetly. 

“Victor...were you? Jealous? Of Phichit?” 

“No! Of course not! I mean, I just...I. Um.” Victor’s face looked hot enough to fry an egg on. Yuuri was impressed. He didn’t know Victor even could blush that hard! Victor hung his head finally and whispered “Maybe a little.” 

Yuuri’s heart thumped in his chest. Victor Nikiforov. Had been jealous. Over him. Plain old Katsuki Yuuri. It was surreal. And it did something for Yuuri. He leaned into Victor again, resting his head on Victor’s shoulder so he could whisper directly into the soft skin of Victor’s neck. 

“There’s never been anyone for me but you.” 

A shiver ran through Victor's body, and Yuuri smirked, placing a small kiss over one of the darkening love-bites on Victor's (his boyfriend’s!) neck. Victor’s breath hitched, and he went very still, then suddenly he was moving. Hurriedly shuffling their half-empty bowls onto the table, he flipped them, pinning Yuuri beneath him with a heated look in his eyes. Yuuri arched beneath him, smirking. Victor growled and claimed his lips in a hard, demanding kiss, and Yuuri gave into the burning arousal bubbling between them. Round three was off to a very promising start. 

~~~  
Waking up the next morning in Victor’s bed was a surreal experience, as was beginning their first day of serious training as coach and student, and as boyfriends. Yuuri woke surrounded by a tangle of limbs clutching him close, the sound of his alarm pounding on his sleep-muzzied brain. His heartfelt groan at the earliness of the hour seemed to rouse Victor. Yuuri flopped over and buried his head in the pillows, only to be dragged out of them by a smiling Victor who pulled him in for a morning-breath kiss. Yuuri kissed him back, his brain slowly coming online and beginning to process their naked, sticky state and the slowly intensifying need to pee, and his desire to stay here wrapped in Victor’s arms and drinking in kisses forever. 

Sadly, that last seemed unlikely. Groaning a bit, Yuuri sat up at last, feet dangling over the edge of the bed and head bowed as he talked himself into standing up and heading toward the shower. Inside the tiny cubicle, he leaned against the tile with his eyes closed, letting the warm water wake him up slowly. A pair of strong arms snaked around his waist and he jumped a bit as Victor dropped a kiss on his bare shoulder. 

“I hope you don’t mind some company.” 

Victor’s voice was rough with just waking up, and purring low in Yuuri’s ear, tickling the hair around it. Yuuri let out an involuntary moan, shivering at the sensation of Victor’s voice, and his skin pressed along the length of Yuuri’s back, and the safety of his arms wrapped around Yuuri’s body, fingers skating abstract figures over his skin. 

“No, o-of course not,” Yuuri gasped. 

The sensation of Victor’s morning stubble pressed into the curve of Yuuri’s neck, combined with the press of Victor’s morning erection half pressed into his ass combined to bring Yuuri quickly to full hardness himself. He tilted his head back onto Victor’s shoulder, grinding back against him, eliciting a moan and Victor’s hips pressing back into him in a slow grind, mimicking their activities of the previous day. 

“How exactly am I supposed to concentrate on skating when you’re so sexy, my Yuuri?” 

Yuuri flushed, breath catching in his throat as one of Victor’s hands moved down to brush against his cock in a gentle tease. “W-what about me? You...I...I’ll be lucky if I don’t end the day unable to sit down from a sore ass!” 

Victor’s hand stilled and he buried his face in Yuuri’s hair, snorts and giggles accompanied by shaking shoulders betraying his amusement. Yuuri’s sleep and arousal fogged brain took a moment, but he finally caught on to his unintended double meaning. 

“I meant from falling! Not!” Yuuri’s face burned. Why was he still embarrassed about this? Victor had been _inside_ him last night, and vice-versa earlier, how could he be blushing about a bit of double entendre?? “Not from any other activities! Victor, stop laughing, it’s not funny!” 

“I can’t help it, darling, you’re just so adorable! And very sexy.” 

Yuuri groaned. “Oh my god, we cannot have sex at the rink, stop thinking it, Yuuko would never forgive me!” 

Turning in Victor’s arms, Yuuri looked up to see Victor blinking down at him, the very image of innocence 

“I wasn’t thinking that at all!” 

Yuuri narrowed his eyes, and Victor’s expression grew even more falsely innocent. “Good. Because we are definitely never having sex there. Or even thinking about it.” 

The tilt of Victor’s head was teasing, and his smile grew sly. “But Yuuri love, how will that be possible when you’re skating to such a sexy short program?” Victor leaned in closer, and purred in Yuuri’s ear, “Being seduced by you is going to be all I’m able to think about when you practice Eros.” 

And just like that, the playful mood evaporated, replaced by urgent need and gasping pleasure. Later, Yuuri privately decided mornings might not be quite so bad if they all started like that. 

~~~  
Stepping into the rink with Victor, alone together on the ice for the first time, Yuuri was overcome once again with the unreality of his life. This was their first serious day of on-ice training with just the two of them, and Victor said he meant to go over Yuuri’s performance of Eros in detail, rather than begin with something new right away. Yuuri was both excited for and dreading the coming critique. 

They sat on the benches, putting their skates on side-by-side while Victor chattered excitedly about...something. Yuuri mumbled distracted answers, concentrating on his skates, and his breathing, and on trying to wrap his mind around his life. They passed through the inner doors and stepped onto the ice, skating off around the edge to begin warming up. A hand caught hold of Yuuri’s fingers, tugging gently until he looked up into beautiful blue eyes and a fond smile. 

“Are you listening to your coach, my Yuuri?” 

“Hmm?” Yuuri flushed “Oh! Yes, of course! I mean, what did you say?” 

A soft laugh answered him, and Yuuri hung his head, digging a toepick into the ice. First morning and he was already fucking it up. 

“I said, after we warm up, I want you to skate Eros through, then we’ll skate it together. Then we can break it apart element by element. Sound good?” 

Yuuri glanced up through his bangs. At least Victor was still giving him that same fond look he had noticed before. Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad if he could just keep his head on the ice. And not fall down too much. 


	9. Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Victor pressed play on the music and swallowed hard as Yuuri began to move. A small part of Victor admitted this might have been a mistake, giving Yuuri a program so guaranteed to light all of Victor’s nerves on fire. Yuuri moved like silk, flowing across the ice sensuously, hips swaying and arms carving shapes in the air. Victor had never seen anyone skate the way Yuuri could, spinning the music around his body like a second costume._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _*Insert showing up six months late with Starbucks meme here*_
> 
>  
> 
> Uh. Yea. Hi guys. Heh, so funny thing happened....I got massively stuck. I was really not sure where to go and hated every attempt I made at this chapter. I'm happy with it finally, I started really getting the itch for this story again a couple weeks ago (probably to avoid writing other projects) and bit by bit I got this. This basically just an excuse for fluff and flirting and Victor being massively in love with Yuuri. 
> 
> Anyway, I'm really sorry it took me so long, and I'm really grateful to everyone who has read and commented, or kudosed, and especially all you lovely people who liked it enough to subscribe to it! 
> 
> Big thanks to Gwynneth and Margs from Fairy Discord for betaing. I really appreciate it! <3

Skating with Yuuri was both the best and the worst thing to ever happen to Victor. There was the two of them, skating hand-in-hand in slow laps around the rink. There was the regretful linger of their linked fingers as they pulled apart to run through individual warm-ups, trading small smiles and warm glances across the rink. Victor couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this relaxed and peaceful and _happy while_ skating with other people. Unless he was alone at the rink, he always had to be On. Had to be the Perfect Living Legend, the Gracious Champion, the Smiling Idol. With Yuuri, he could just be at last, and the relief was so great he felt weak in the knees with it. Or perhaps he was weak in the knees from watching the way Yuuri moved across the ice. Because honestly, the man was so beautiful it should be illegal!

Once they were both properly warmed up, Victor skated to the side and leaned against the boards near the sound-system. 

“Ok, darling, let’s go once through with the music, then decide from there!” 

Yuuri nodded his agreement and moved to the center of the ice, assuming his starting pose. Victor pressed play on the music and swallowed hard as Yuuri began to move. A small part of Victor admitted this might have been a mistake, giving Yuuri a program so guaranteed to light all of Victor’s nerves on fire. Yuuri moved like silk, flowing across the ice sensuously, hips swaying and arms carving shapes in the air. Victor had never seen anyone skate the way Yuuri could, spinning the music around his body like a second costume. But this was Eros, and Yuuri didn’t just dance, he spun the story of the woman chased and seduced and then casting off her lover. Victor clutched at the boards behind him, his eyes glued to Yuuri’s lithe form. He was just so, so screwed. His internal battle between his Professional Coach self and his desire to fling himself on Yuuri and devour his lips raged until at last Yuuri spun to his final stop, arms wrapped around himself and chest heaving. 

Yuuri unwound himself and turned to skate slowly toward where Victor was frozen against the boards, unable to move a single finger for fear of collapsing into a puddle of lust right there on the ice. Something must have shown on his face, because Yuuri’s squinting nearsighted expression slowly morphed into a pleased smirk as he slid to a stop beside Victor and grabbed his water bottle. 

“Well, how was that, Coach?” Yuuri’s eyes danced.

Victor gulped a huge breath and searched for words. “That...that...you uh. Very good.”

“Oh?” Yuuri slid closer, heat radiating from his body as he pressed along Victor’s side, eyes intense. “How good?”

An involuntary groan escaped Victor’s lips and Yuuri chuckled, low and pleased. He laced their fingers together on the boards, and slid his other hand around Victor’s waist, angling his head up to press his lips gently against Victor’s open mouth. Victor broke at last, turning fully to pull Yuuri tightly into his arms and kiss him hungrily back. One hand cupped Yuuri’s head, reveling in the soft black cloud of hair, while the other pulled Yuuri’s hips tight against him, letting Yuuri feel just how he had been affected by the performance. The kiss lingered, their hands beginning to roam a bit as Yuuri’s own interest was piqued, and Victor forgot they were standing on skates surrounded by the chill of the ice rink. The heat between them enveloped them, cocooned them, warmed Victor through to his very bones. 

A sudden rapping behind them from the window of the office made Yuuri leap away from him as if stung. They glanced up to see Yuuko wagging an admonishing finger at them, though her grin was wide. Victor turned back to find Yuuri’s head bent in what appeared to be an attempt to hide his furiously blushing face. 

“What happened to never ever having sex at the rink?” Victor teased. 

“Oh my god shut uuuppp” Yuuri whined back, hands covering his reddened face. “It was one kiss dammit. Can’t I kiss my boyfriend without people getting ideas?”

Victor giggled, wrapping his arms around Yuuri’s shoulders and planting an affectionate kiss on his head. He lowered his voice and whispered in Yuuri’s ear. “But I love getting naughty ideas about you darling.”

 

*•*  
Skating with Victor had become easier. Skating Eros was easier too, now that he knew exactly how the other man sounded when he came under Yuuri’s fingers. It was easier to imagine himself as seductive, knowing Victor actually felt that way. Each day was the same, workouts and skating and drills, and searching for music for his Free Program. But they had plenty of time together too, learning each other as boyfriends, and just enjoying quiet times together, basking in each other’s company. It was early summer still, and training wasn’t quite in full swing yet, so Victor made sure they took time to do fun things like go to the beach or stroll with Makkachin. 

“Yuuri?” Victor interrupted Yuuri’s thoughts one afternoon as they were scrubbing down in the bathing rooms. 

“Hmm?” Yuuri tried to tear his gaze away from the way soap was sliding along Victor’s shapely backside and concentrate on his boyfriend’s words, because they weren’t alone in here and Mari would kill him if he traumatized any other patrons. 

“Would you go on a date with me?” Victor looked almost nervous (how?) and swallowed, rushing on. “I mean, I know we’re b-boyfriends now, and that means anything can be a date, but I really want to take you out somewhere special, and I found something I really wanted to try in Fukuoka and-”

Yuuri broke out in a wide, happy smile, heart swelling. God, how was he so lucky? “I would really love that, Victor. Thank you.” 

And that’s how Yuuri found himself pulled along to the train station the next morning wearing a tight blue boatneck shirt and the tightest pair of dark wash jeans that Victor had been able to coax him into. (They were Victor’s, so he’d had to roll the hems a bit, and as always, him in Victor’s clothes really Did Something for his boyfriend. The man had been unable to take his sparkling gaze off Yuuri all morning). Victor himself looked typically stunning in his own set of jeans and black button up shirt with the sleeves rolled over his muscled forearms and unbuttoned enough at the collar to show off his collar bones and Yuuri’s marks left in lily-pale skin. 

Victor was nearly vibrating on the train ride, shaking his head and winking mysteriously whenever Yuuri asked where they were going, refusing to reveal his “surprise” before they arrived. With a small smile, Yuuri let him alone and watched the morning sunlight sparkling across the ocean and lighting up the landscape as they raced for Fukuoka. He sank into a fugue state, just enjoying Victor by his side, and nearly jumped out of his skin when his companion leapt up as the train pulled into Tenjin Station.

“Here we are Yuuri!” Victor trilled. 

More than half the other passengers rose with them, and Yuuri blinked around, then frowned a little. 

“What’s here? This isn’t really the best time to go out around here, Vitya. It’s Festival time, and it’s bound to be packed…”

Victor’s smile widened if possible as he tugged Yuuri along with the flow of the crowd. “I know! I’m so excited!”

“Wait, are we, did you...bring me to the Hakata?”

There was no answer immediately, as they emerged onto the nearby street, mingling with other festival-goers craning for their first sight of the parade just now winding its way through the city. Victor’s eyes gleamed, his expression full of childlike awe as he took in the dancers and bright flower cars. 

“Vitya…”

“Yuuri! This is so amazing!” Victor actually bounced a little on his toes. Yuuri burst out laughing, wide and happy.

Once the parade passed by again, they followed the crowd toward a street of stalls, scents of food and flowers, sweet perfumes and the crush of many bodies, the roar of music and voices, all patterns and colors swirling around them, assaulting their senses. They clung to each other’s hands to avoid being separated among the hundreds of other people and wandered aimlessly from stall to stall.

The first one they found sported a silly ring-toss game. Victor clapped his hands like an excited child when Yuuri won and presented him with the small stuffed Kermit plush the stall-owner handed over as a prize. 

“Yuuri, you’re so amazing!”

Next, Victor pulled him along towards a food stall, plush under one arm and hand firmly clasping Yuuri’s. They bought takoyaki and a glass of beer for Victor, and Yuuri took back the Kermit prize so it wouldn’t get sauce or alcohol all over it. Victor quickly finished his takoyaki and then began pulling Yuuri forward again, grinning eagerly back at him.

“Let’s check out this one, Yuuri!”

“Yuuri, oh my gosh look at how cute!”

“What are those? Do they taste yummy, Yuuri?”

As their walk progressed along the rows of stalls, and Victor’s cup grew emptier and was refilled and emptied again, his grin grew wider and he broke out in laughter now and again. He made Yuuri drink a little too, and insisted on buying them caramel dango to share, taking turns biting the sticky brown balls off the stick. He giggled as he explained that the caramel sauce reminded him of Yuuri’s eyes when he was happy, and Yuuri blushed hard, snatching the last dango in retaliation. 

Throughout, their hands never parted for long, always gravitating back together. Yuuri reveled in the feel of Victor’s long slim fingers wrapped around his. His beautiful elegant boyfriend laughed brightly and pulled him along toward another stall hung with paper lanterns that lit up Victor’s silver hair with multicolor lights in the darkness of the festival evening. The sight finally snapped Yuuri’s control. He tugged back, sidestepping into a shadowed corner, temporarily hidden from prying eyes. Without releasing Victor’s hand, he brought his free hand up to pull Victor into a passionate kiss, all tongues and bodies pressed together. Victor stiffened for a moment before wrapping his own free arm around Yuuri’s waist and kissing back ardently. They broke apart after several long moments and rested forehead to forehead. Yuuri kept his hand curled around Victor’s neck, fingers scratching lightly at the short hairs there, sending shivers coursing through his boyfriend’s body. 

“What was that for?” Victor sounded breathless. 

“I just wanted to. You looked so beautiful, and I had to kiss you.”

Victor smiled sweetly into his eyes. “Feel free to kiss me like that any time, my love.”

Oh god, Yuuri was so in love. He was so screwed. And there was no way he was going to survive this intact. Maybe it didn’t matter though. If only Victor would stay, Yuuri didn’t want to stay as he had been. He wanted to mold himself to Victor and never let go. The realization broke over him like a wave of icy water, dousing the warm feeling in his chest for a minute. He was _in love_. He loved Victor, so much, and there was no way Victor would stick around forever. Was there? 

Yuuri’s heart rate sped up and he concentrated on trying to breathe normally, pushing away his doubts as firmly as he could. It was too late though. Victor had noticed the sudden change.

“What’s wrong sweetheart?”

Yuuri stepped back and shook his head sharply, stretching a smile across his lips and pulled Victor back into the stream of the festival. “Nothing Vitya.”

Victor looked doubtful, but allowed himself to be pulled back into the thinning festival crowds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh did I say all fluff? I mean, Yuuri is getting better at feelings? He's not running away this time! The date idea was heavily inspired by the picture in the YOI end credits where a laughing Victor is pulling someone (Yuuri presumably) toward some brightly lit stalls. I love all the ending pictures, but that is a really good one, and I decided to try to incorporate it into this story. I have no idea whether that is actually supposed to be a festival or not, but I liked the idea of the festival, and Fukuoka's Hakata Dontaku takes place at almost the right time (it's a little earlier than I wanted but....*hand waves* What is time really anyway?) and near enough by that they could easily do it as a short day or weekend trip from Hasetsu. I haven't seen it myself, so if there's something that seems wrong to you (except the Kermit plush, that's a joke for crem13brulee) please let me know! 
> 
> Anyway, I can't promise I won't take forever to update again, but I will say I already have an idea of how I want the next chapter to go. I thiiiink there may only be two chapters left, but we'll see. 
> 
> I can also be found on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/LiaWolff), [Tumblr](http://thebookewyrme.tumblr.com), [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/TheBookewyrme), or [Dreamwidth](https://thebookewyrme.dreamwidth.org)for screaming purposes, should you want to say hi! ^_^


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